BORDER NEWS TRANSLATIONS 12: Gorditos

Elvigia, a Baja and border area news publication, reported on April 11, 2011, that 7 out of 10 Mexicans are now considered obese. According to World Health Organization statistics, it’s estimated by 2020 only one in 10 won’t be overweight. Mexico is now ranked in second in most obesity and first in childhood obesity.
Lourdes González Alba, head of nutrition at Ginecobstetricia Hospital said Baja California has one of highest obesity rates due to its proximity to the U.S. because many have adopted cultural eating food with high levels of fat like pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs and tacos that are plentiful in the region.
"Northern frontier towns have an over availability of food that is high in fat and sugars, while there is malnutrition in the South", she said.
María del Consuelo Segura, a nutrition specialist mentioned one of the most important causes of obesity is a sedentary lifestyle. Also, people generally don’t read label nutritional information. On the other hand, they are influenced by product marketing, she stated.
Low fruit and vegetables consumption was evident in a 2000 to 2006 national health survey, plus the low consumption of dairy products and high consumption of meat, soft drinks and fast foods.
About 3 in 10 Mexicans are genetically prone to have high cholesterol. Obesity can cause serious cardiovascular problems, osteoarthritis, liver fat, as well as being 30% more prone to developing breast, cervical, colon, prostate and stomach cancers. Overweight individuals can also develop gallstones and kidney stones, hypertension, diabetes, as well as psychological disorders such as low self-esteem, depression, discrimination, eating disorders, or sleep apnea.